


A Shield In The Dark

by Marzi



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-10-01 23:24:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17253329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marzi/pseuds/Marzi
Summary: Giles takes up a teaching post at Hogwarts-- not because Albus asked, but because Willow needed help.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this so long ago I don't even know what it would be like if I finished it.

She had been throwing dirty looks at him ever time he came into the shop. Technically, it was still partly his, a fact the ex-demon seemed to have trouble getting her head around.

 

He sighed when Anya crept up behind him and stared into the cash register after he rang up a customer. “Anya, I’m not stealing anything.”

 

“Not while I’m looking.”

 

“Even when you’re not.” Giles closed the drawer with more force then necessary. Normally her behavior wouldn’t get to him so much, but with Buffy being so distant, Anya was only serving to add to his sense of being unwanted.

 

“Don’t damage my property!”

 

“It is my property as well--”

 

The shop door opened and its little bell tinkled the signal of a new arrival, but for some reason the familiar sound froze Giles in place. It was late and the shop was about to close, though they had their fair share of last minute shoppers. There was something different this time, Giles could feel it right down to his core. When he had stopped mid-sentence Anya had begun waving her hand in front of his face, but he continued to ignore her and turned his gaze towards the door.

 

“God no!” He threw himself to the floor and pressed himself up against the counter, praying to all deities and demons that he hadn‘t been seen.

 

Anya wanted to question Giles, but when she caught sight of the new arrival she couldn’t help but wonder if time had jumped backwards to Halloween, thus distracting her. Halloween this year hadn’t been bad, Xander had finally decided to tell everyone they were engaged. The thought made Anya smile and pet her engagement ring, which gave her time to consider option number two. Option two was that the man who just walked into the Magic Box was an escapee from an old folks home. He certainly looked old enough to need to be in a home, and his eccentric dress gave the impression he had to escape form somewhere in order to be dressed in such a manner in public.

 

“Can I help you?” she asked, hoping there wasn’t an option number three in which he was a cultist searching for young beautiful women to sacrifice. You could never be sure when it came to odd-dressers in Sunnydale.

 

The old man smiled pleasantly at her, walking farther into the shop, causing his midnight blue robes to swirl around him. He certainly pulled the look off well, if that indicated anything. “Ah yes, madam, I was wondering if you could help me find someone?”

 

His eyes twinkled at her with amusement, giving Anya the impression the man he was looking for was the hiding behind the counter, holding onto one of her ankles with a death grip. For the sake of her ankle she played along.

 

“Uh, who?”

 

“Rupert Giles, have you heard of him? I’m an old friend, and haven’t seen him in quite a while.”

 

Somehow, Giles‘ iron grip on her ankle tightened to near excruciating. “He’s out.”

 

“Could you please tell him Albus has stopped by town and would very much like to speak with him?” He stopped across from her on the other side of the counter and began rooting around in his pockets.

 

“I’ll pass along the message.” She kicked Giles with her free foot, but he still didn’t let go, or make a sound. “While you’re here is there anything you’d like to buy?” Any opportunity was a business opportunity in her book.

 

Albus’s eyes roved around the shop with an oddly childlike curiosity, but he shook his head in the end. “I’m afraid not. Would you like a lemon drop?” He had taken the bag of sweets from his pocket and popped one into his mouth when he finished speaking.

 

“Hm, alright.” Anya plucked one out of the bag and sniffed at it curiously.

 

“Rupert,” the older man called out. “Would you like to join us and have a lemon drop?”

 

“I will not be bribed like a bloody infant.” Giles groused, finally releasing Anya’s ankle, but not getting up.

 

“I shall not treat you like one if you do not act like one.”

 

Grumbling irritably, Giles finally pulled himself up off the floor, dusting off his clothes as he stood. Anya smacked him on the arm when he stopped fidgeting.

 

“Ow!”

 

“It’s what you deserve, I’m probably going to bruise!”

 

Albus continued to smile pleasantly at the both of them, silently offering the lemon drops to Giles.

 

“No thank you.” He rubbed at the now sore spot on his arm.

 

“If you insist, but they’re quite good.” Albus put the bag away.

 

Anya finally ventured to put her candy in her mouth, and her face scrunched up immediately at the taste. She swallowed the whole thing before it could reek any more havoc on her tongue, coughing slightly. Giles awkwardly patted her back.

 

“You know,” Albus continued. “If I had known how you would react to my arrival I would have--”

 

“Come anyway.” Giles finished for him. “What do you want?”

 

“Want? Would you judge my motive so quickly? What if I simply wanted your company?”

 

“You would still be wanting.”

 

Albus chuckled at the come back. “True enough!”

 

Anya massaged her throat, now eyeing the robed individual suspiciously, as if he had been the reason she choked. “I’m going to get some water,” she mumbled, slipping away from the pair.

 

When she disappeared into the back room the ex-Watched sighed, slipped off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let’s not waste either of our time, what do you want?”

 

Before he could answer the shop bell rang out, but the sound was quickly drowned out by voices.

 

“See? I’ll even hold the door, like a perfect gentleman!”

 

Tara laughed at Willow. “I don’t want you to be a gentleman.”

 

“Well, a perfect lady then.”

 

The pair continued to giggle softly, but a much quieter figure followed behind them like a shadow. Willow, Tara and Buffy froze and fell into a matched silence at the sight of Albus, however.

 

Giles groaned, leaning forward onto the shop counter, squeezing his eyes closed, and wishing the whole scenario away. “You always come at the worst bloody time, don’t you?”

 

“Whatever do you mean?” the old man asked cheerfully.

 

The three girls gaped for a moment, and Willow was the one to regain speech first. “Giles, who’s this?”

 

“Willow.” He sighed, resigned to his current fate. “Tara, Buffy; this is Albus Dumbledore. An old… friend of mine.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Albus Dumbledore looked like a character out of a book. Clean white hair that was well groomed and fell an impressive length, sparkling blue eyes partially hidden behind half-moon spectacles, which were perched on a crooked nose, and despite the lines on his face, he gave off a strange buoyant, almost boyish energy.

 

“Did he accidentally turn himself into his Halloween costume?” Buffy asked, sarcasm hidden under her words.

 

“No.” Giles slipped his glasses back on, eyeing Buffy warily. “He isn’t that sort of friend.”

 

“Then what’s with the get-up?” The blonde pressed.

 

“It’s typical dress from where… from where he’s from.”

 

“Where’s he from?” Willow asked, shock still plainly evident on her face. Tara’s face had faded to mild surprise by that point.

 

“Rather far away,” Albus offered.

 

“Yes, and now that he has finally gotten here he and I need to speak. _Albus.._ ” Giles walked from behind the counter to the back training room, and, humming softly, Albus followed him.

 

After they disappeared from sight Anya immediately scurried into view, holding an ice pack in one hand. “Did you meet robed guy?” She asked, hopping over to one of the chairs around the research table.

 

“I think so..” Buffy was still staring at the spot the two men disappeared.

 

“What happened?” Tara asked, quickly moving over to Anya, who was applying the ice pack to her ankle.

 

“When that guy showed up Giles tried to break my ankle.”

 

“What?” Willow drifted to Anya's other side. “Why would he do that?”

 

“Well, he was hiding.”

 

“What? I mean, why?”

 

“I don’t know! But it hurt,” Anya cautiously rubbed her throat. “And now I know why Xander always says never take candy from strangers.”

 

The three girls stared at one another, trying to understand how the ex-demon’s mind had made that leap.

 

* * *

 

 

“May I ask?”

 

“Ask what?”

 

“Why did you hide when I arrived?’

 

“Old habit.” Giles offered lamely. “Let’s just get this over with so you can go back to ‘far away‘. What is it you want?”

 

“Well, exactly that. I want you to come back with me.”

 

Giles stared at him straight faced, and then suddenly broke down into giggles.

 

Albus smiled softly. “I’m glad you find it so entertaining.”

 

“Entertaining?” He managed through laughter. “You can’t honestly expect--”

 

“Yes, I can.”

 

Giles sobered up immediately. “Why an on earth would I want to go back with you?”

 

“It would not be permanently.”

 

“It wouldn’t..? Albus, I am on _very_ thin ice with them right now. If I go back--”

 

“I would take all the precautionary measures so that you would be able to return. I do not make this request of you lightly, Rupert.”

 

“Then why make it at all?”

 

“I need someone. Someone who won't be swayed by our politics. Someone I can trust.”

 

“Trust? You would put your trust in me?”

 

A sad look came over Dumbledore’s face. “I think you would be surprised at who it is I must trust these days.”

 

“I told you a long time ago that nothing you could do would surprise me, Albus.”

 

He raised his eyebrows. “You did, but eventually any who have said that end up a bit shell-shocked.”

 

Giles gave a half smile to that.

 

“Ah, but we digress. Rupert Giles will you grant my wish? Will you come back? Just for a year?”

 

“A year..? You want me to..?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Albus I need time to think this over. A lot of time.”

 

“I would expect no less.”

 

Giles sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “A _lot_ of time.”

 

A look of understanding crept onto Dumbledore’s face. “You have some of your own trouble.”

 

“Yes,” he admitted. “But we are no longer close enough for me to care about sharing them.”

 

Albus dipped his head in acknowledgment. “The train will be there if you decide to come. Oh, and consider it an open invitation. I couldn’t help but notice the-- what is it you say? Wicca?”

 

Giles face darkened. “I can think of no reason to bring either of them into this.”

 

“So you haven’t--”

 

“Goodbye Albus.”

 

He looked as if he was about to press the matter, but instead, he reached inside his robe and pulled a long box from one of it’s hidden pockets.

 

“Bribery?” Giles tried to hide his surprise under a snide curl of his lip.

 

“No, it is simply something of yours that I have been meaning to give back.” Albus held out the box in offering, but for a moment all Giles did was stare at it.

 

Hesitatingly, his fingers closed around it and he took it slowly from the other man. “Thank you,” he mumbled.

 

“Well, goodbye Rupert.” And with a loud _CRACK!_ he vanished.

 

* * *

 

 

“Giles!” Willow called out the moment she saw him, feeling oddly relieved. “What was that sound? We heard--”

 

“It was just Albus leaving.” He looked strangely weary, and everyone in the room immediately picked up on it. Luckily for him the concern diverted attention away from the box now in his possession.

 

“Giles,” she started again, much more tentative. “Are you--?”

 

“I’m going to go home.” He didn’t seem to have heard her, or perhaps he was just trying to ignore her question. “See you all tomorrow.” Grabbing his coat from behind the counter, he left without another word.

 

“Fine, don’t apologize!” Anya yelled at the closing door, waving the ice pack.

 

Tara and Willow cast a look towards the door, then each other, faces mirroring their worry. Buffy stared at the door, face blank and eyes unfocused.

 

* * *

 

 

Despite the grand distraction Albus’s proposition had dropped on Giles, he found little time to think it over. Life was, after all, very busy on the Hellmouth. Though the entire town singing and dancing hadn’t seemed too much of a problem, it was what came of it that drew Giles’ greater attentions. Buffy, as a part of him had suspected all along, had moved on to a higher and grander place. Making her return to the mortal coil a proper descent into Hell. The revelation had cast discord among all of them, but it wasn’t the only thing weighing on his mind. The truth that had spilled out of him during his song to Buffy could not be ignored. He was a crutch, one that was hobbling her as much as it was helping her. How could she help the world if he kept holding her back?

 

That was when Albus’s offer came back to his attention. If he was to leave, should he not go to help someone else? Even after he bought his ticket to go back home we was still undecided.

 

Then his mind was made up for him, when a young desperate Wicca accidentally erased the memories of those closest to her. Willow’s action had cost her Tara’s trust, and Giles knew he had to act before she lost so much more. He broke into Buffy’s house and snuck upstairs to speak with Willow, effectively avoiding Slayer and kid sister. She was in quite the state when he located her, curled up, crying softly in the bathroom. Willow was too distraught to be surprised when he sat next to her on the floor.

 

“If I could help you, would you let me?” he whispered, hyper-aware and a little nervous after his break-in.

 

Choking down her tears, not caring about his sudden appearance, she asked, “how?”

 

His eyes flickered to the door, still afraid of being caught. “If I took you somewhere where you would learn control, and to not be dependent on magic.”

 

“There’s no place like that.”

 

“Of course there is,” Giles admonished, turning his full focus to her.

 

“How do you know?”

 

“Because I was there.”

 

She looked over at him finally, cautiously, frowning slightly.

 

“Everyone needs help once in a while, Willow.” The words stabbed at him. Everyone needed help, and here was, walking away from Buffy... but he wasn’t what she needed. She needed her own two feet.

 

“I would be with you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“In England?”

 

His hands tightened into fists, but he kept his answer smooth. “Yes.”

 

“Where?” Willow scrubbed at her tears, as if suddenly ashamed of them. “I mean, where exactly?”

 

“Hogwarts.”

 


End file.
